_-Chapter 1 -The Beginning-_

He smiled at her. A small smile, enough to convey a pleasant message to the red haired girl, but not quite a smile of friendly acceptance.

She returned his smile with her own mature and slightly seducing one. A smile that would leave most of the students as a puddle of goo, both boys and girls.

But fortunately, he is not one of 'em.

Rias Gremory.. one of the 'Kuoh Great Ladies'. Third-year, seventeen-years old girl. President of the Occult Research Club, or ORC to be short. Mature beyond her age. He noticed how she replied to every greetings she could with a warm smile, even if said greeting is slightly obsessive in manner. A reliable person, from what he heard from the other that have actually interacted with her.

He had never actually talked to her. Hell, he always keep a safe fifty-metre distance from her and her associates.

There's a certain air that whispers diffently around them. The first one he noticed was the Student Counsil President and also incidentally one of the 'Great Ladies', Shitori Souna.

The foreign looking girl has greeted him on the day he was tranferred here. And he noticed the air around her slightly distort, almost like the very air is trying to avoid touching her lithe body.

And after that, he saw all of the Student Counsil president's friends are the same as her. The Student Counsil and ORC members.

He made the wise choice of keeping his distance from them.

He removed his gaze from Gremory-san's form and concentrated on the halls of the Academy.

The Shinigami-damned school is as big as a Amaterasu-damned castle!

Who in the name of Bishamon did the design of this place? It was so freaking huge, it wasn't even funny!

Fuckin' architech! Didn't he thinks of the students? We are walking, you idiot! Not riding horses!

And he continued walking with a slight grumble about how the school is too big for people like him.

He had tranferred here for half a year and yet he isn't used to this freakingly huge school yet.

Magatsukami-damned showoff of an architect!

_BREAK_

At first, he thought he was hallucinating. But the sight of the girl that is nervously squirming and blushing infront of him efficiently dispelled his thoughts of that idea.

Amano Yuuma. A classmate of his just asked him out on a date? He expertly hid his unbelieving surprise with a smiling visage. Unfortunately, it did not help the warmness that seeped into his cheeks.

What should he do? Reject her? He doesn't want to hurt her feelings. But, in the same time, he doesn't want to form a deep attachments towards others. He never did saw this coming.

He was enrolled into this school due to his benefactor's choice, not because he wanted to.

Now, there's a girl asking him out on the bridge in the school's zen garden. What in the name of Hachiman should he do?

A memory struck his mind.

"Issei, I want you to remember this." A soft voice, laced with infinite patience and love for him. A woman, short brown hair framed her slightly wrinkled face. A smile slight but heavy with sincerity.

"Girls aren't just some things to use on your whim, to be played like some kind of toy. They are a delicate and complex being, Issei." He didn't understood why she told him this. He was just six that time. But the memory stuck like a particularly strong root into his mind.

"One day, one of these girls you met will be the one that loves you with all of her heart. And before that time, I ask of you to respect all girls and avoid making them cry. Can you do that, Issei?" He still remember nodding to the sweetly smiling face. A smile also on his own face, to convey his affirmation.

An old memory, ten years old to be exact. The time when he was still an ignorant child, always thinking of playing and having fun. Good days.. joyful days..

He was knocked out of his reminescene when he felt his blazer sleeve being tugged.

"Umm... Hyoudo-kun?" Her deep red coloured eyes looked into his light brown ones in askance.

Hoh, he had almost forgotten about her.

He shook his head slightly, then smiled at the now blushing girl. "I'm sorry Amano-san, but this is too much to take in at a time." And he's not lying. "The surprise just got to my mind, is all."

The girl let his sleeve go and did the impossible by making her face redder. Huh, is it safe to be that red? He is quite sure it isn't. All the blood rushing to her face would cut the amount of blood that flowed to her heart. She should probably stop that.

"I kn-know it's t-too fast, Hyoudo-kun! But it's just.. just.." Woman! Stop the stuttering. You're making him nervous!

A nervous Issei, is a dangerous Issei. His neighbor's dog could affirm that notion.

The afromentioned woman closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath.

She then continued, eyes still closed. "It's just that you are so sweet." She tried again.

Sweet? He's positively sure that he's salty.

"Y-you kept smiling at everyone, but no one wanted to be your friend. But, you just kept on smiling at them. Even if you're a-always alone"

If only she knows that he himself prefer it that way.

"And.. you always help someone in need. L-like that time w-when the Yamanaka-sensei w-was carrying our homeworks, and you o-offered your help."

Is it not normal to help someone in need? He thought it is. Maybe the people here aren't properly educated? That would not do.. not at all. Maybe he should tell this to the Civic and Morals Education Club? They would made a 'Civic and Duties Awarance Day'.

Yes, that would do. He should talk to the Civic and Morals Education Club president tomorrow. Yes.. tomorrow would do.

"Or t-that time w-when you saw a pregnant cat and fed her ev-everyday, even now, after t-the cat had given birth." She opened her eyes again but the twin red orbs are looking at everything but him.

Ah.. that cat. He knew how it felt to starve, he had that admittedly humbling experience when he gave a certain orphan siblings all of his salary, and he was forced not to eat on certain days to save what little money he had left. It have left him with less energy to spend everyday and a very, very distracting emptiness in his stomach.

It struck a chord seeing that pregnant but skinny cat meowing at him, asking him for food. He had fed the cat everyday to make sure she had the energy for a safe labor, and even after she had given birth, he kept on feeding her and her kittens to make sure they survived.

"A-and you always s-spent your days off at th-the local orphanage." She added, a small gleam of adoring and amazement in her eyes.

Now that caught his interest. He never told anyone about that, due to him not having any friend in this school. And the orphanage was in the other side of Kuoh City, too far for rumor to spread.

"How did you know that, Amano-san?" He asked, he couldn't stop the slight suspicious tone from entering his voice and the slight narrowing of his eyes.

He is an orphan too, the feeling of not having anyone to guide him is a norm for him. He's used to it, but never welcome it.

Empty, that was the feeling that accompanied him everytime he returned home. Where there was once a smiling face welcoming him home from a woman he infinitely love, now devoid of a the same warmness it once had, leaving a cold and lonely return. Where there ought to be a gruff but never harsh 'I'm home' from a man he deeply respect at exactly seven in the evening, now only the sound of cars passing by, no matter how long he waited.

It was a trying times for him. Adapting was as hard as accepting. Losing them left a neverending void inside him. So, that was why he would spare some time for the orphans. He wanted to show them that there are people who cares, who understand, and these people would always welcome them with open arms if they needed help.

It doesn't matter how big or small it is, let it be to help to decide which school they should attend to, or something as mere as helping them to comb their hair right before school. He would happily do it, just to help distract them from the familiar void that he have in common with them.

The caretakers in the orphanage were very kind to let him come every Saturday and fed him each time. According to them, the children have dubbed him, 'Saint of the Orphans', and the caretakers couldn't agree more.

Never before that day, had he blush that hard in his life.

"Umm.." the soft voice wafted through his hearing, effectively making him focus on the brown haired girl.

"This is embarassing.." said brown haired girl squirmed even more under his focused gaze.

She closed her eyes again and gave an answer that made his brain stop for a moment.

"I k-kinda f-followed you t-the last Saturday... and.. before that too." The last part was whispered softly, but his sharp hearing still caught it.

Did she just confessed that she stalked him? Maybe he heard wrong? He should really get the wax out of his ears.

"Excuse me, I think I misheard. Can you please repeat that?" He softly asked her.

"Geez! Hyoudo-kun! You shouldn't ask me to repeat something that embarassing!" The girl replied, surprising him with her lack of nervous stuttering.

He shook his head. "None of our schoolmate even spared me a second glance, leaving me alone and I prefer that. Yet, here you are, telling me you followed me to the other side of town on our day off, no least. Why did you follow me, Yuuma-san? What kind of person follows a boring guy like me?" He asked her, a small cynical smile on his lips.

The girl once again surprised him with her answer.

"The kind of person that fell in love with you, Hyoudo-kun.." It was soft, but unnervingly confident. Her eyes that just a moment ago shined with shy nervousness, now laced with steely resolve.

His jaw dropped slightly.

Love? This girl loves him? That kind of love?

This is certainly unexpected. Love is a big word. The word 'love' is not like the word 'crush'. Where a crush was just a simple attraction, love is a neverending acceptance. And by the looks on her face, she knows that too.

It is a confident declaration from her. And it dosn't escape him, how that confession took a lot out of her.

It took him a short while to snap himself out of the self induced stupor. The next thing he saw after he sobered up was the standing ramrod straight girl with eyes full of conviction and hope looking straight into his slightly wide eyes.

"So I ask again. Will you, Hyoudo Issei go out with me on a date?" No longer does the girl squirm in shy nervousness. This is the turning point.

Issei in his part, focused on Amano's face, in search of insincere glint. And fortunately, she shows no sign of lying or unsure. But the blush was still there.

This is so unfair. What with this atmosphere? The wind that blowed softly, wafted through her hair, making her already beautiful face look slightly more angelic. The setting sun that shot an orange hue on her face made it look soft and endearing.

So, so unfair.

He sighed with a smile. "Yes. Yes, I'd love to go out with you, Amano-san." The girl's eyes widen a tad. Her blush seems to intensify, but her body sagged in relief.

Maybe, just maybe, this is may be the girl that loves him with all her heart. The one that will accept all his misgiving and flaws. Maybe this is the girl that he was told of, ten years ago?

He does not know. But, he will try to make the girl happy, as per his promise to that one he once had.

He saw the girl's face exploded with a smile. And he couldn't deny that it is a beautiful sight. "Thank you, Hyoudo-kun! You won't regret this! I promise." The slight tremor in her voice didn't escape his focus.

"Issei. Just call me Issei." Someone close to him should call him with his given name, not some honorific.

Amano-san's smile grew impossibly more beautiful. That is just plain dirty play, right there.

"T-then, you could call me Yuuma." The girl squirmed a bit.

Issei stepped slowly into her direction and stopped a mere foot from her. The girl gave him a shy questioning look.

"I don't know how this is supposed to be done." He chuckled softly. "Heavens know I have next to none experience in these kind of stuffs. But I promise you this, Yuuma. Until the day you find me no longer interesting or 'sweet', I'll do my best to make you smile."

That was so corny! Damn! He knew he should have kept an open ear to what those dating couple say to each other.

But the message was sent. And the corny line was so worth it because the girl gave him a beaming smile after he said that.

He ignored a deep, menacing laughter that came from the depth of his mind.

_BREAK_

He looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Is this acceptable?" He asked himself again.

Black long-sleeved buttoned shirt with crimson red detailing and a pair of navy blue denim jeans clothed his frame. He looked like an aristocratic macho man, if he say so himself.

Oh, how he despise that image!

But today is the day he'll go on the first date in his admittedly short life. And the magazine he bought about dating, recommended something that look good but casual enough to perform any light to medium effort activities. So he chose these particular clothes.

He bought this shirt the day before he tranferred into Kuoh Academy, it gave a formal look yet it doesn't limit his movement. The shirt is not too form fitting, but it hugged his frame comfortably, enabling him to move freely.

The jeans are something common in nowadays teen's wardrobe.

'Alright, Issei! Re-check today's plan.' He mentally reminded himself.

'First, I should bring her out for brunch, then we head for the amusement park.. ahhh... the amusement park? The place is so damned crowded this time of week!' He slapped his forehead.

Today is Saturday, exactly three days since Yuuma asked him out. And he's ashamed to admit that he is nervous of this.

He shook his head, making his neatly combed hair flew into disarray. 'I should hurry. It's fifteen minutes before ten and the walk to the train station would take less than ten minutes. He should be there early, in case Yuuma arrived earlier than expected.

He grabbed his sweater and bag, then made his way out of his rented house.

His dating plan could wait for Yuuma. Besides, it's not a date if it's without mutual agreement.

_BREAK_

The day went on smoothly for them. They went to the amusement park, despite the crowd. And then he brought her to the orphanage to spend some time with the children.

It surprised him, that she wanted to go to said orphanage. It never crossed his mind that a girl would happily go to a place full of ferocious midgets.

Maybe, she have a screw loose? He should ask her if she had sustained any head injuries before.

She seemed geniunely happy while she is playing with the children. Eventhough the children were shy of her in the beginning, she gave them a friendly greeting and a soft, sisterly smile, and their shyness melted into childish enthusiasm.

It seems like the children are getting used to her, looking at how the children listen to her words like it is the command of the angels itself.

Holy shiet! He took a month or so to get the children used to his presence. Yet, this girl just waltz right in and gave them a smile. Then, Bam! They're the best of friends! They even ate their veggies after Yuuma asked them to!

Hell, no! He'd have to bribe them a lot of candies to make sure they eat their veggies! Those ungrateful halflings! A pretty girl came, and they treated her like a princess!

Insufferable midgets! This is a serious case of favouritism, I tell you! Unfair!

Maybe he should buy them the vegetable flavoured candies, just to make his revenge taste sweet.

Nah, they love every candy they get. Even if it's vegetable flavoured.

He then focused on the form of Yuuma. The blouse she wore is blue in colour and the pair of black casual trousers that hugged her form beautifully. Making her look like a caring older sister.

"It seems like the kids prefer your girlfriend more than you." A mature but soft voice broke him out of his reverie.

He glanced to his right to see one of the younger caretaker, Kujou Rin looking at the midgets and Yuuma with a soft gaze. Her brown hair tied in a ponytail, and she's wearing a short-sleeved white shirt and a pair of black trousers.

"Yeah.. the ungrateful chibis! I'll have my respect, dammit!" He pouted. "I bribed them candies for a whole month to make them open up to me. And now, Yuuma came in and not even for a day, they're the best of friends! So unfair!" He muttered with a faux bitterness.

The sound of her chuckles reminded him of the sound of wind chimes in a particularly breezy day.

"Issei-kun, the first time you came, it was with a bag of candies. We, the caretakers told them not to accept anything from a stranger, especially candies." Her bronze coloured pupil focused on his pouting face.

"I know." He sighed. A small smile made it to his face. "I'm glad Yuuma liked the children. It's our first date, and she really wanted to see them. And am slightly jealous to see the children readily accepts her." He admitted.

It's hard to find people that have the patience to focus on thirty or so attention-starved children. And even more rare to find a person that is happy to oblige said children request with a smile. And he is thankful for someone like Yuuma loved a person like him.

"She's lucky to have you as her boyfriend, you know?" Huh? Where did that came from. He turned his head to face the nineteen years old girl.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? I mean , I'm just another guy, passing through his school days as normal as he could. Then a girl like her confessed to a person like me. Isn't me who is lucky to have her as a girlfriend?" He asked.

The dignifed face of Rin grew an unreadable smile and said, "You shouldn't sell yourself short Issei-kun. After you started to come here, the children aren't the same anymore. They listened to us more. Even the defiant ones are less likely to make a ruckus. And since you gave Isshin-kun and Matsuda-kun the money that they used to buy the cake to raise the morale of the children, they respected you more."

Ah.. he remember that time. The children were sad that they lost one of them to adoption, due to the loss of friend or that they have not yet to be adopted, he's not sure. But the gloomy air around the orphanage was stiffling.

He had asked the nine and seven years old sibling about it, in which they answered without hesitation.

"Mio-chan was adopted three days ago. We lost a friend." Was Shiba Isshin's grumpy reply.

"And now the girls aren't as happy as they used to be." The younger, Shiba Matsuda continued.

He felt the sadness practically radiated from them. In an orphanage, where everyone are close, losing one of them would affect their already small supply of morale. To them, every single one of them are the pillars that held each other to form a tightly knitted group of friends.

Losing one of the pillars wouldn't make the foundation fall, but it surely made it shaky.

Thus, he made it clear that they shouldn't worry. He had given all of his daily payment to the boys and commanded them to go and find a cake with one of the caretakers. And he went to personally to ask for permission from Mio-chan's adopted family to let her come and visit the orphanage.

He was lucky that the family was understanding enough, and they even went to the orphanage with him on that day.

The parents promised would being Mio every weekend to spend time with the currently gloomy children. Raising the mood a little. And when the cake arrived, the children threw a congratulation party for their adopted friend.

The morale restored and the children would still be friend. He felt the rush of satisfaction invade his small, fragile heart, on that day.

That was also the day he recieved his moniker, "Saint of The Orphans".

His brow twitched in annoyance when he remembered that particular moniker.

Seeing the uncontrollable twitching of his eyebrows, Rin laughed, a dignified and purifying laugh.

Damned mind reader!

"Haa.. Issei-kun, I haven't laugh that much for days."

The twitching of his eyebrows intesifies. "Glad to see my suffering can bring some happiness in someone else." He deadpanned.

The girl just gave him a shake of her head. "The children and some of us caretakers deeply respects you, Issei-kun. And we appriciate every day you spent here on our orphanage. It brought a fresh sight to see someone cared for these childrens."

He just looked at the smiling Rin's face. It struck him that the brown haired girl is really beautiful. The small smile made her face look like an unreachable person. Like a diamond in display. Near, but untouchable. And now here she is, looking at him and him at her.

How the girl made him feel small.

She was raised in this very orphanage. She lost her parents when she was ten. Due to her parents are outcast from each family, nobody came to claim guardianship. Thus, she was raised here.

Right after she graduated, with flying colours, he might add. She refused many offers in further studying because she wanted to help the orphanage. She works on the nearby cars dealership as a saleswoman, and everytime she got her payments, she'd give them to the orphanage, to add up to the small amount of donations they accepted.

Anyone who got this girl's attention would be very lucky. So very, very lucky indeed.

Did her gaze just softened? Why is she looking at him like that? He gave her a small smile of his own.

So caught up in his staring, he didn't notice a slightly jealous gaze on them.

"Issei-nii!" A small and cute voice called out to him.

Both him and Rin snapped their head to the source of the voice with a slight blush, only to see the small form of a white haired girl who is staring at him with suspicious eyes.

"Why are you lookin at Rin-nee like that?" Kid! Don't ask questions like that with that loud, cute voice of yours!

"It's nothing, dear." Rin quickly saved him from the suspicious question of the girl. She glanced at the watch on her right wrist. "Have you washed your hands, little lady? It's almost time for dinner."

The small face exploded with a megawatt smile. "Yes, Rin-nee! I washed my hands with a lot of soap too. Look! It's sparkly clean!" The white haired girl held out her hands for Rin to see.

"Good, good. Now go and call the others for dinner. Mother Shinonone would be thankful if you did that." She softly asked the girl with a ruffle on her head, in which the little troublemaker giggled at.

The sound of patting feet accompanied the enthutiastic girl's light jog. And he watched her go with a melancholy smile. So young, so very young, yet she has already lost the persons she cherished.

"Would you like to join us, Issei-kun?" Rin asked him.

"Nah, it's already late. I need to send Yuuma home. Maybe next time." He gently refused the offer.

And for the second time that day, Rin gave him an unreadable smile.

"Be careful then. It's almost dark. And.." she paused.

A shiver shot through his spine, and he noticed how the air around them turned cold and deadly.

The smile on Rin's face that was unreadable, now turned sickly sweet.

"Don't you dare do anything uncouth to the sweet young lady. You hear?" He nodded so fast that he swore he can only see blurs of the smiling Rin.

The air around them turned normal, a fraction of a second after that.

How did she do that? Holy Molly! That is the most efficient way of threatening he'd ever seen before! Maybe she's a part of the local Yakuza? That should explain her adeptness in using her shinai!

He then collected his current girlfriend and said their goodbyes to the crestfallen kids. Yuuma, seeing the children who are about to cry, promised them that she'd visit frequently, bringing smiles to the children's face.

When they were about to leave, he saw the melancholy smile that Rin gave. Maybe he should ask her about it. It's bad for someone with a big responsibility like her to have too much stress.

Next week, he vowed. He'd ask her the next time he visit. Maybe he could lend a hand?

_BREAK_

For one to breathe, the person must have a pair of lungs to exchange the oxygenated air that was inhaled with the deoxygenated air that the body produce. And one must also have a heart to pump the oxygenated blood into the veins to pass the much needed oxygen for the body to properly function.

And Issei found himself unable to breathe due to the lack of his left lung and his heart.

The laughter in his head only made it worse.

He remembered the sad face of Yuuma, apologizing.

"I'm sorry." She said before the agonizing pain struck him.

Now, he's lying on his back, looking at the dark sky.

The sound of sobbing made him turn his head to the form of Amano Yuuma that was standing not a couple of feet from him. Her body was shaking.

Is she crying? Why was she crying?

"I'm sorry." Those words were choked out between her sobs. Her face, shadowed by her long brown hair. But it didn't hide the shiny pearls of water that flowed down her cheeks.

How he wanted to ask why. How he wanted to tell her that he's fine. But all that came out of his throat was some gurgle and wheezing.

Her sobs intensified.

"Why are you crying, Raynare?" A pompous voice sounded. But he's too tired to turn his head to see the owner of said voice.

He doubt he'll like the face. It must be a pompous and smug face.

Wait! What the hell is a 'Raynare'?

"Rejoice! For he would be one of our soldiers!" Said owner simmer into view. Black hair. Face handsome like it was carved by the angels themselves, but the effect was ruined by the arrogant smirk on his face.

Soldier? Who? Him? He's no soldier. He's a goddamned normal guy!

"He's a good person, Master Kokabiel. Is it really necessary to kill him?" Yuuma's voice dripped with regret.

'Master Kokabiel' sighed. He don't know how the man made him want to punch his head off with just a sigh. "Raynare.." he began. "Your attachment to this human is stupid." Issei noted that the arrogant douche regarded Yuuma with the name 'Raynare'.

So Yuuma's real name is Raynare? What a weird name.

Wait! What did he meant with human? He didn't like the sound of that.

"We are far better creature than them. These infested mistake of a creature, created by our God." Ouh! That bastard's gonna get it. Prick's gonna get it hard!

When he managed to heal these wounds, that is.

"We could have persuaded him! I could make him obey my words! It doesn't have to be like this!" Yuuma, or Raynare, he preferred the former, exclaimed. She lifted her hidden face to show her puffy eyes and red nose.

The prick just laughed at her. Issei resisted the urge to tell him to shut the fuck up. Not like he could, with him missing the left side of his chest, and all that.

"Such naïve thought, my dear Raynare. By nature, humans are disobedient creatures. The only way to make this filth to obey is to kill and revive him as an undead." He floated? Floated? The guy just fuckin floated!? Towards Yuuma with an unnatural grace.

Oh? They're reviving him into some kind of zombie? Well, that ain't good. Not at all.

But what can he do? He's too tired to move, and besides, the wounds are too much, even for someone like him. The laughter inside his head grew louder by the second.

"Is-Issei-kun?"

His blood stopped cold in his veins. Every fibre of his being screamed 'no!'

He ignored the searing pain and turned his head to the one that called out his name.

Yet again, his blood turned ice cold when he saw her. Standing at the edge of the park was Rin. Face pale like a sheet of paper. One trembling hands covered her open mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.

He noticed that the hands on her side was holding on to his sweater. The sweater he accidentally left at the orphanage.

He wanted to scream! To tell her to run! Go as far as she can from this place!

But he only managed to wheeze out blobs of blood.

Seeing his condition like that, the girl threw away his sweater and rushed to him, only to be blocked by Yuuma.

"Yuuma-chan?" The betrayal was thick in her voice.

"Leave. Leave now, Rin!" Yuuma's voice was stern, but it also held a pleading tint in it. "Leave, and you will be left alive."

"Ho-how could you say that? Issei-kun is bleeding over there! What is happening?" The tremble of her voice was heartbreaking.

Yuuma's posture rocked with a silent sob. "Please, leave. I don't want to take more lives than necessary." Pleading was her voice.

Puzzlement flashed through her face. Her eyes darted to his bleeding form, then to the sobbing Yuuma infront of her.

Rin shot the crying girl a steely look. She then lowered her head, making the light of the moon shadow her eyes.

"No." A whisper, but loud enough to be clearly heard.

She lifted her face to lock eyes with Yuuma. "I'll save him!" Conviction was clear in those bronze orbs.

He felt dread filled his stomach when a streak of light passed through his vision, aimed straight at the caretaker.

Those bronze orbs went blank when the streak of light shot to her shoulders. Evaporating a sizeable chunk of her shoulder.

"NO!!" Yuuma screamed.

An arrogant laughter filled with sadistic glee came from the one that launched that streak of light at Rin's shoulder. Disgusting sound it is, drenched in sick amusement in causing pain to others.

Face still blank, she turned her head slightly to the right, only to see her shoulder gone.

A blur shot from the edge of his vision to the front of Rin, blocking his view of the blank faced girl.

Kokabiel! He growled.

The man lifted his hand, a spear shaped light formed in his palm.

No! No! Please! No! Leave her alone! You wanted me! And here I am! Leave Rin alone!

He was forced to watch as the sadistic man stabbed the girl on her uninjured shoulder.

Her scream of pain made Issei's heart burned with something he thought, he had long forgotten.

The flames of Wrath!

He closed his eyes, ignoring Yuuma's cries, Rin's scream of pain and the disgusting sound of sadistic laughter, and reached deep into his conciousness.

Fuckin' scalebag! Time to pay your fuckin' rent!

The sound of the laughter he ignored before, filled his head. It was gruff, vengeful and smothered in controlled rage.

PROTECT THEM!!

A request?

No.

It was an order!

And the laughter turned positively maniacal in nature.

_BREAK_

PAIN!

It began like a whisper. Slowly, it danced across the park in like a silent wind.

AGONY!

It boomed. The whispers turned into a powerful bellow that shot through the air. It was so awesome that the very air itself vibrated from the sheer power of the voice.

THE EARTH ITSELF FEARS MY PRESENCE!

The earth shook, and the trees trembled in fear. Heat slowly seeped into the cold night air.

I AM JUDGEMENT!

The voice bellowed again. Effectively stopping every single living thing in hearing range.

THE INCARNATION OF HATRED!

Their eyes widened in shock. The pain of her bleeding shoulders were forgotten due to the shock in hearing those powerful sound. The sound is like a thousand men screaming the same thing in practiced unison.

I HAVE BEEN CALLED!

The beads of sweat that littered her forehead flowed into her eyes made her vision blurry. She blinked a couple of time to clear the slight prickly sensation in her eyes. Only for her focus immediately seek the bleeding Issei, only to find the boy standing tall, like a statue of guardians often found in the temples of old.

TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT!

The boy she last saw lying in a pool of his own blood, now standing, proud and stiff. The hole on his chest produced a red smoke, almost like it's burning, yet the smoke didn't produce any smell of burning flesh.

A red, spiky gauntlet with green lines fitted his arm. The green jewel at the centre of his hand glowed a menacing green.

SUMMONED BY THE ONE WHO WIELD MY SOUL!

Arms that were slender, now pulsing with sinewy muscles. His hair, that were brown in color, now have a red tint towards it.

TO PUNISH THE UNJUST!

His face was shadowed, but she can clearly see the place where his eyes should be, glowed emerald. It almost look like a twin orbs of green fire, burning in a fiery rage.

FOR I AM.. FIRE!

The temperature skyrocketed with unnatural heat.

She shuddered when the voice that is surely not Issei's came from his throat rushed into her hearing.

The power behind it, left her feeling hopeless. Made her feel desperate to run away, for the owner of said voice was outworldly strong, if she stood too long in its wake, she'd be crushed by the mere pressure of its presence.

FOR I AM.. DEATH!

He smiled. It was not the small and sincere smile she's used to see the boy give. This smile is blood thirsty in manner. Seeking amusement in breaking the people that stood on his path.

And the sadistic man was the only person that stood on his way.

REJOICE! INSIGNIFICANT BEING!

Yuuma, she noticed, stood infront of her. Sheilding her from the blast of heat that came rolling off the enraged boy.

FOR THE GREAT WELSH HAS COME!

Those burning orbs of emerald locked on to the man that caused her pain. And in the edge of her vision, she could see the man trembled in fear.

The arrogant smirk now replaced with open mouthed shock. The sadistic laugh replaced with gibberish vocals.

She wanted to laugh. How does it feels now? To be the one on the edge of the blade?

The smile on Issei's face reminded her of a particularly vicious snake, that just cornered a big, fat and stupid pigeon.

TO BURN YOUR PITIFUL SOUL FROM THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE!

_Ch. 1 END_

Author's Note

Well, that's it. It's my first time writing a fic, go easy on me, yeah? English is not my native language, so you may notice some spelling or grammatical errors, and it would make me really thankful if you kindly point them out, that I do.

It has been three years since I've started reading fanfic. This is the first time I had the confidence in my usage of English to publish my own version of a fic. I am fond of some DxD stories, but 'End Game Version R' by Kur0Kishi, 'A Demon Among Devils' by The Crimson Lord and 'A Demon Lord's Hero' by Fahad09 are one of my few favourites. You might find some similarities in writing style.

Oi, I'm sorry, okay? I'm still new in this writing business, I'm still struggling to find my own writing style. So, cut the newb some slack, eh?

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. And I accept any kind of critique. Be it harsh or considerate, as long as it have constuctive advice.

Oh, I'm looking for a Beta Reader, yeah. If anyone is interested, please, do send me a PM.

That's it. Keep calm and keep reading, eh?